Practical suggestions
“It may not be that the race always goes to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but that is the way to bet.”
—Damon Runyon, journalist
The message is to study hard, work hard, practice our technical skills, and stay on top of our game. We must commit ourselves to a lifetime of learning.
“Chance favors the prepared mind.”
—Louis Pasteur, scientist
One of the best examples of this adage is Alexander Fleming’s “chance” discovery of the bactericidal effect of a mold growing on a culture plate in his laboratory. This observation led to the development of penicillin, an amazing antibiotic that, over the course of the past century, has saved the lives of literally hundreds of thousands of patients. We need to sustain our scientific curiosity throughout our careers and always remain open to new discoveries. Moreover, we need to maintain our capacity for awe and wonder as we consider the exquisite beauty of the scientific world.
“I have a dream.”
—Martin Luther King Jr, civil rights leader
Like Reverend King, we must aspire to a world where civility, peace, and social justice prevail, a world where we embrace diversity and inclusiveness and eschew prejudice, mean-spiritedness, and narrow-mindedness. We must acknowledge that some truths and moral principles are absolute, not relative.
“Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.”
—Vince Lombardi, professional football coach
Our lesson: Never quit. We must be fiercely determined to do the right thing, even in troubled and confusing times.
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
—Winston Churchill, British prime minister
Until proven wrong, always think the best of everyone. The bright side is far superior to the dark side. We must strive to consistently have a positive attitude and to be part of the solution to a problem, not the problem itself.
“It’s all such a delicate balance.”
—From “It’s a Delicate Balance” by Tom Dundee, folk singer and songwriter
Our top 3 priorities should always be our own emotional and physical well-being, the well-being and security of our loved ones, and the well-being of our patients. The order of these priorities may change, depending upon circumstances. When urgent patient care demands our presence and we miss a birthday celebration, anniversary dinner, soccer game, or dance recital, we need to make certain that, the next time a conflict arises, we arrange to have a colleague cover our clinical or administrative responsibilities.
We must learn to say no when our plate is too full. Failure to say no inevitably leads to life-work imbalance. It is always flattering to be asked to make a presentation, serve on a committee, or prepare a textbook chapter, and it is natural to be concerned that, if we decline, we will not be invited again. However, that concern is unwarranted. Rather, others will respect us for acknowledging when we are too busy and will be grateful that we did not accept an invitation and then miss important deadlines. Conversely, when we do say yes, we need to honor that commitment in a timely manner.
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